Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to vehicular communication systems and, more particularly, to a phone book synchronization control method and apparatus of an audio-video-navigation (AVN) system mounted in a vehicle.
Discussion of the Related Art
An AVN system mounted in a vehicle may provide a driver with a variety of music, video, map guiding service (e.g., AM/FM radio, CD player, MP3 player, navigation, DMB, satellite TV services). For the sake of safety, however, a driver should avoid looking at the AVN system while driving and instead keep his or her eyes on the road and maintain control of the steering wheel while driving. Accordingly, many vehicles are equipped with AVN systems with a hands-free function to achieve driving safety and convenience, while observing traffic rules.
AVN systems with a hands-free function may provide not only a music/video service or a route guiding service, but also a phone calling service capable of entering phone numbers and searching for phone numbers using the hands-free function. In relation to the phone calling service, the AVN system may transmit and receive information using the hands-free function. More specifically, upon providing the phone calling service, the AVN system may enable wireless communication with a terminal, download phone number information, and store the phone number information therein.
Generally, since phone numbers stored in the terminal are frequently changed, the AVN system downloads the phone numbers stored in the terminal and stores the downloaded phone numbers therein whenever the terminal is connected to the AVN system through wireless communication. In other words, the AVN system may provide a function for synchronizing phone numbers of the terminal with phone numbers thereof.
However, some terminals may not transmit phone number information to the AVN system in order to avoid transmitting abnormal phone number information to the AVN system. In this case, phone numbers stored in the AVN system may be deleted contrary to user intention, and later the AVN system may be unable to use the previously stored phone numbers. Accordingly, a method for avoiding the unintended deletion of user phone numbers due to abnormal operation of a terminal is needed.